Theme 7 – Financing of the sanitation sector

Nearly four years after the implementation of the new legal framework for sanitation in Brazil, important reflections must be made on the challenges that still remain latent in the sanitation sector.

Among them, efforts to achieve the goals of universal access to water supply and sanitation stand out, and in the field of urban drainage and solid waste management, the search for greater efficiency, resilience and improvement of the quality of these services. In addition to the political-administrative, institutional, regulatory, technical and contractual issues to be considered, there is the immense challenge of ensuring significant investments in the sanitation of Brazilian cities, guaranteeing service to the most vulnerable populations and raising standards of human and environmental health.

This panel is dedicated to exploring and deepening the ways to make these investments viable, addressing essential issues such as financing and credit mechanisms and instruments; national and international sources of funding; the legal and regulatory environment as a factor driving (or limiting) resource allocation; guarantees; the economic and financial capacity of companies; and also the prospects for public and private participation in investments. The panel will also discuss financing and credit mechanisms aimed at innovation and sector development, addressing how Brazil and the world are preparing to fund greater resilience of sanitation systems (water, sewage, waste and drainage) in the face of climate change and uncertainties.

These themes will be discussed in light of various Brazilian or international experiences, with public and private sector involvement, including PPPs, concessions, performance contracts and privatization processes, among others, which demonstrate, on one hand, several innovations, lessons learned and significant progress and, on the other hand, highlight the daunting task of leveraging capital, labor, inputs and technologies for sector improvement.

Thus, this panel aims to broaden knowledge and contribute to discussions and alternatives for resource mobilization – so necessary – for the sector, supporting and inspiring service providers, investors, planners and managers, regulatory agencies, entities and professionals in the sector to promote actions, projects and investments for the desired universalization and sanitation and environmental sustainability.